Essay Example on Embargo: Deterring International Trade & Securing Global Peace

Introduction

The embargo is a sanction that deters a specific country from conducting international trade with one or more nations. As the world advances, the technology, weaponry, and internet become a vital part of contemporary existent, which often result in high need for both internal and external security from threats such as cyber-attacks, violation of human rights, money laundering, and nuclear weapons. Many countries that have been deemed as dangerous and a threat to international peace have often been subjected to different sanctions banning them from interacting or relating with other nations. Involvement in illicit activities such as production and nuclear weaponry has subjected North Korea massive bans prompting different implications on the country.

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Definition of the Embargo on North Korea

World powers such as the US, UK, China, Russia, and France established an economic or financial sanction on North Korea after withdrawing from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treat of 1985, in 2003 (UN News, 2007). Due to the concern to protect the world against nuclear war, world powers utilized extreme measures to regulate North Korea from manufacturing and testing nuclear weapons.

Reasons for Embargo on North Korea

The United Nations imposed embargoes on North Korea due to its engagement in the proliferation of deadly weapons of mass destruction. North Korea signed the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty in 1985, which prohibited its production of nuclear weapons (UN News, 2007). However, in 2003, President Kim withdrew from the treaty. The UN has conducted multilateral negations with North Korea persuading them to denuclearize but to no avail. According to the UN reports, North Korea conducted nine tests on ballistic missiles (UN News, 2017). Continued production of deadly weapons poses a threat to global security, compelling the US and the United Nations to pass embargoes on the nation. The United States passed embargoes to prevent the financing and proliferation of nuclear weapons.

How Embargo on North Korea works

The member countries of the UN came into joint agreement to put restrictions on a North Korea, mandating the UN to impose sanctions on the country (UN News, 2017). The UN mandates the US to impose economic and trade sanctions on North Korea based on the decisions made by the organization's Security Council. The embargo passed by the UN Security Council Resolutions bans the trading of all weapon-related material to and from North Korea (United Nations Security Council, 2016).

Types of Embargo on North Korea

The UN put an embargo on arms and other related material to ban the transfer of weapons and other equipment such as technical training and financial transactions, the shipment of the arms to and from North Korea for repair, testing, servicing and refurbishing or any other support on the manufacture and use of weapons (United Nations Security Council, 2016). The UN also put interdiction and transport embargo on North Korea's aircraft and railway, requiring the member states to inspect the cargo to or from the nation thoroughly while banning shipment vessels to and from the country. The organization heightened its embargo on vessels in 2017, prohibiting insurance and re-insurance while de-insuring the member states with service vessels involved in illegal activities. The UN also imposed an embargo on asset freezes, in which all member states are required to freeze the funds, assets, economic resources of the Korean Workers Party, and all other agencies of the government associated with the manufacture of the weapons (United Nations Security Council, 2016). Other embargoes put on the country include sales and supply of petroleum and crude oil, allowing only 500,000 barrels of refined petroleum products and 525,000 tons of crude oil to and from North Korea in 12 months. On 11th of September 2017, the UN introduced restrictions on the export of textiles and apparels while prohibiting all cooperative or joint ventures with entities and individuals in North Korea (United Nations Security Council, 2016). Further, by November 2016, the UN had initiated and introduced more items on luxury embargo on North Korea.

Implications of the Embargo on North Korea

The embargo on North Korea weakened its economy (United Nations ESCAP, 2016). The Korean government relied on agriculture, mining, and industry to ensure its long term growth. The ban on the exports huts the economy of North Korea as it is one of its primary sources of revenue (United Nations ESCAP, 2016). The embargo also interferes with the livelihoods of North Korea's local residents due to the impairment of the economy they depended on. For instance, the prohibition of the exportation of minerals such as iron, anthracite, iron core, seafood textiles from North Korea has had a significant impact on the miners and industries in the respective sectors. The US also put quantitative caps on sales of refined petroleum, natural gas, and refined petroleum to North Korea, contributing to the decline in the external trade of North Korea (United Nations Security Council., 2016).

Conclusion

Increased production and testing of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles by North Korea attracted condemnation from the world, compelling the United Nations to pass sanctions on the country. The embargo on North Korea bans the trading of nuclear-related weapons, ballistic missiles, and other weapons of mass destruction. It forbids the import and export of materials needed for the production of the weapons while deterring any entity or individual from providing professional or financial support to be used in the production of arms in North Korea. The implementation of the embargo has economic implications on the country as most of the sanctions have a direct and indirect impact on the nation's economy.

References

UN News., 2007. DPR Korea invites UN nuclear chief four years after leaving the non-proliferation pact. UN News. Available at https://news.un.org/en/story/2007/02/210042-dpr-korea-invites-un-nuclear-chief-four-years-after-leaving-non-proliferation.Accessed on the 14th of March 2020.

UN News., 2017. UN Security Council adds individuals and groups to DPR Korea sanctions lists. UN News. Available at https://news.un.org/en/story/2017/06/558732-un-security-council-adds-individuals-and-groups-dpr-korea-sanctions-list. Accessed on the 14th of March 2020.

United Nations ESCAP., 2016. Economic and social survey of Asia and the Pacific 2016: Republic of Korea. United Nations ESCAP. Available at https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/Country%20note%202016_Republic%20of%20Korea.pdf. Accessed on the 14th of March 2020.

United Nations Security Council., 2016. Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006). United Nations Security Council. Available at https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/sanctions/1718Accessed on the 14th of March 2020.